Rockin' Out

Kyle and I used to play Guitar Hero all the time.  Then we had Grant.  Now we never play.  One night we were going through some boxes and found the guitars.  Grant wanted to know what they were for and so one night we showed him. He thought the guitars were so fun. 

Kyle and I were disappointed at how much our Guitar skills atrophied.  We used to play all the songs on a pretty difficult skill level and make few errors. We stunk so bad that we had to put the songs on easy.  Oh, well.  I guess we have replaced our Guitar playing skills with more important things.  

It was a fun night of jamming out!

I totally didn't notice our folding chairs in the background until I uploaded these pictures.  We have this awesome entertainment room, but we don't have any furniture.  We don't want to go into debt to get couches and so we sit on folding chairs and lawn chairs.  It doesn't bother us all that much, but when people come over they crack up that we have this nice t.v. with no furniture. 

5 Months

Celeste is 5 months and 10 days today, but these picture were taking on the 1st of October.  I am just a little slow getting them posted.

Celeste still doesn't care much for tummy time and sometimes gets stuck.  She can roll over from tummy to back.  She can roll from back to either side, but can't get all the way over.  Celeste can scoot around a little bit when she is on her tummy.  I bet she will be an army crawler.  Celeste really wants to sit and tries to sit by herself, but she just doesn't have the strength yet.

She LOVES sweet potatoes.  Last night she refused her bottle and ate a whole container and half of another one.   She won't eat pears unless they are mixed up with cereal.  We haven't tried any other foods yet.

Celeste loves to talk and makes all kinds of cute sounds.  She just recently figured out how to blow raspberries.  She loves to laugh and play simple anticipation games.  

Celeste is growing like a weed now!  I love her double chin.  It is nice to not have to worry about her weight any more.  She has grown out of some 3-6 clothes, but most still fit.  

Orphan Train

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15818107-orphan-train" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Orphan Train" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362409483m/15818107.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15818107-orphan-train">Orphan Train</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/157146.Christina_Baker_Kline">Christina Baker Kline</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/733565902">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I really would have given this book 4.5 stars if possible.  It was an amazing read!  The story was an emotional roller coaster.  I was mad at how awful Dorothy's foster parents were.  I was so sad at so many points.  Then I was so excited when wonderful things happen.  I think my favorite part was when Vivian and her friends go to the Wizard of Oz and the Grand Hotel.  I was laughing out loud at that point.  <br><br>I really liked the bounce between the 1930's and 2011.  The author did a great job bringing the stories together in the end.  <br><br>It makes me sick to think orphans have to go through anything close to this experience.  I am sure they do though.  I am not that naive.  <br><br>No sex scenes.  Some sexual innuendo.  Some swearing.<br><br>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2251204-kelly">View all my reviews</a>

The Yellow Dress

When my mom was a baby she had a beautiful yellow dress.  When I was an infant my mom had my pictures taken in the same yellow dress.  My mom saved the yellow dress and so we had to take pictures of Celeste in the same yellow dress.  

I think it is really fun to look at the resemblance between the three girls.

Beyond Suspicion

<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/299480.Beyond_Suspicion" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Beyond Suspicion (Jack Swyteck, #2)" border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348363854m/299480.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/299480.Beyond_Suspicion">Beyond Suspicion</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/27572.James_Grippando">James Grippando</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/723004365">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
James Grippando is a new favorite author of mine.  I love a good mystery and this book was good, just not a favorite.<br /><br />It started out really good, but the middle got a little dry.  It would have moments of white knuckle intensity followed by a whole lot of slow moving lawyer mumbo jumbo.  <br /><br />The ending was great, but took a long time getting there.  The problem was I would look at my kindle and it would say 91% but the book still wasn't wrapping up.  I found myself watching the percentage increase and wondering when the climax of the book was coming.  I also felt like the ending happened too fast.  I wanted a little more closure from the side characters like Theo, Cindy, and Evelyn.  If book 3 picks up where this one left off than I may come back and give it 4 stars.  Otherwise, I am giving this book a solid 3.<br /><br />There was a murder/suicide scene where the woman is naked, but no other sex scenes.  The "f word" here and there, but not excessive.
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2251204-kelly">View all my reviews</a>

A New Leaf or...

maybe an old leaf, but a different perspective.

We have had a lot of talks and devotionals in our ward and stake about missionary service.  Our stake president extended a full time missionary call to every member of our stake.  Our ward has really caught on to the missionary bug.  I have too!

I have always been so scared to open my mouth.  (I know I am always talking, but I never talk about the church.)  I am so grateful for the new found understanding of missionary work.

I am finding a new purpose in meeting new friends, especially neighbors who attend other churches.  I have always loved meeting new people, but now I want to share the Gospel with them too.

I love the Gospel so much.  The Gospel brings me so much joy and peace.  I have found the desire to share it with others like I would share an exciting new recipe or a super sale or a great movie.  I can't stop thinking about the Gospel and I want to talk about it all the time.

I have started reading the Book of Mormon every morning with Grant and Celeste.  We only read about 5-10 verses because that is all they can handle.  It will take us a VERY LONG time to finish the Book of Mormon.  We are not having a race, but small spiritual moments.  I have loved reading it with them and when we miss a day I can feel a difference.  Reading such small amounts forces me to summarize the things we read last time and help explain what we just read.  I have been amazed at how much information and how many principles can be covered in just a few short verses.  My testimony of the Book of Mormon has been strengthened through our daily study.

I am so excited for General Conference this weekend.  I can't wait to hear the voice of our wonderful Prophet and his apostles.  I was able to go to the General Relief Society meeting and found it so up lifting.  It was just what I needed.  I was bummed I couldn't go to the dinner before hand, but I was definitely fed spiritually.

If you are reading this and are currently not active or a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I want you to know that the Lord loves you.  He wants you to be happy.  You can find happiness in the love of our Savior Jesus Christ.  I feel of His love every day!

Picking Up Apples

Before I get to the picking up apple story I want to everyone to see these beautiful earrings Evelyn inherited from my Grandma.  They are clip on earrings and Evelyn thought she had died and gone to heaven when we put these on her.  Also note her missing tooth.  She was very excited about losing her first tooth.

Now, picking up apples off the ground can be a very tedious chore.  Anyone who has an apple tree in their yard knows this.  It seems like the apples reproduce once they hit the ground.  My parents' have three large trees in their backyard and therefore have hundreds of apples to pick up. 

Evelyn has been interested in earning money.  (Grant has too for that matter.)  My mom decided to offer Evelyn a little money for picking up the apples in the backyard.  I don't get to spend much time with my niece so I offered to supervise, which really meant I picked up my fair share of apples too, and I kept Evy motivated to continue picking up the apples.

Erin spent the hour or so playing with Celeste.

I got very creative with ways to keep Evy motivated to pick up apples.  We had contests to see which hand could through an apple the farthest.  It was hit and miss with her, she throws like a girl.  We had contests to see if the "baby" apples or the "mommy" apples could go farther.  We counted how many apples Evy could throw in a minute.  We then counted how long it took her to throw a big pile of apples.  How did the apples get in a pile? I raked them.  By the way it was hard work raking apples.  We sang songs and found gross apples and nice apples.   My favorite part though was when we were almost done and Evy had to lean against the tree because she was so tired!